The Department allocates funding to schools, for the employment of escorts to accompany these children. The Board of Management concerned is the employer of the Escort s.
The Board of Management of the school to which the escort grant has been allocated has responsibility for employing the escort. The Department Grant aids the Board of Management to assist in defraying the cost involved in engaging a suitable person to act as escort on transport. Funding issues yearly in advance to the schools concerned.
Schools are required to complete a Reconciliation Form for approved School Transport Escorts annually. It contains information under the following headings:. A Bus Escort will be employed on a fixed-term part-time contract. The nature of the position, terms and conditions are set out in the Contract of Employment. A template contract is attached. The responsibilities and duties of an Escort are set out in Appendix 1 of the contract. Bus Escorts must be garda vetted prior to appointment. Entitlements are as determined by the Department of Education from time to time.
Heretofore, the hourly rates paid to bus escorts has included an element in respect of annual leave. This represents the bus escorts statutory annual leave entitlement. Bus escorts will take and be paid their accumulated statutory annual leave entitlement during the closure periods at Christmas, Easter and summer as follows:. During the Christmas closure period, bus escorts will take the statutory annual leave which they have accumulated since the commencement of the academic year and will be paid for such leave.
During the Easter closure period, bus escorts will take the statutory annual leave which they have accumulated since the end of the Christmas closure period and will be paid for such leave. During the summer closure period, bus escorts will take the statutory annual leave which they accumulated since the end of the Easter closure period and will be paid for such leave. Appendix 1 of the circular letter has a useful guide on the level of statutory annual leave accumulated based on the hours worked in a term by a bus escort.
